Explore student competitions.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK chemistry competition where students solve challenging written problems that extend beyond the standard school syllabus. Open to students in Year 12 or below through participating UK schools. Rated Advanced Level, with difficulty mainly coming from unfamiliar contexts, multi-step chemical reasoning and university-style problem-solving.

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A global academic essay competition where students answer a set question in subjects such as politics, economics, history, philosophy or law. Open to individual students under 19 worldwide. Rated Expert Level, with difficulty mainly coming from independent research, original argumentation and highly competitive international judging.

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A global synthetic biology competition where high school teams design, build and present a research-based biological engineering project. Open to secondary-school teams worldwide with appropriate adult supervision and institutional support. Rated Expert, with difficulty mainly coming from the long project cycle, laboratory requirements and multidisciplinary judging.

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Rated Intermediate, this free UK art competition is aimed at children aged 4–7, with schools or parents able to submit entries through the published route. Young artists create a monster-themed drawing for judging, possible publication and prizes. The main challenge is turning an imaginative character idea into an expressive, complete picture that stands out clearly.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Beginner, this school-run mathematics challenge is designed for pupils aged 7–9 in the UK and worldwide. Schools can deliver the paper online or from a supplied PDF, with questions becoming progressively less familiar. The main challenge is reading carefully, spotting patterns and explaining simple reasoning while building confidence with competition-style problem solving.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Intermediate, this UK showcase is for pupils who complete an Apps for Good course during the relevant academic year. Individuals or school teams present a technology idea through the online entry process before judging and showcase recognition. The main challenge is turning course work into a convincing, usable solution and explaining its purpose clearly.

QUICK SUMMARY

The British Chess Championships is an in-person festival covering the main championship, junior age groups, rapid, blitz and other sections. Players enter the section that matches their age, title or eligibility and should check its specific fee and rules. The challenge is sustaining accurate calculation, disciplined time management and concentration across a demanding tournament schedule.

QUICK SUMMARY

This under-12 section is an in-person British Chess Championships event for eligible junior players, with related rapid and blitz options listed separately. Families should verify birth-date eligibility and the chosen event fee before entering. The competitive challenge is calculating accurately, managing the clock and maintaining concentration across several tournament games.

QUICK SUMMARY

This under-14 section is an in-person British Chess Championships event for eligible junior players, with related rapid and blitz options listed separately. Families should verify birth-date eligibility and the chosen event fee before entering. The competitive challenge is calculating accurately, managing the clock and maintaining concentration across several tournament games.

QUICK SUMMARY

This under-16 section is an in-person British Chess Championships event for eligible junior players, with related rapid and blitz options listed separately. Families should verify birth-date eligibility and the chosen event fee before entering. The competitive challenge is calculating accurately, managing the clock and maintaining concentration across several tournament games.

QUICK SUMMARY

This under-8 section is an in-person British Chess Championships event for eligible junior players, with related rapid and blitz options listed separately. Families should verify birth-date eligibility and the chosen event fee before entering. The competitive challenge is calculating accurately, managing the clock and maintaining concentration across several tournament games.

QUICK SUMMARY

An international politics essay competition where students develop a clear, evidence-based argument on a set question. Open to students in the penultimate year of school worldwide. Rated Advanced Level, with difficulty mainly coming from independent research and high academic judging standards.